Bear Necessity
by ma-cherie-cote
Summary: Don't mess with the bear's best friend. Changes and a new ending to Season 10's Double Blind. How everything should have went. Tiva.


I decided that maybe it would be a fun idea to rewrite the episode Double Blind and changing a few aspects. That way, we can ignore the problematic finale that was Season 10 and the horrors of the newest seasons. Enjoy!

-x-

"There are only so many times I can watch you break before I start to crack." Tony whispered, his greens orbs speckling with pain and spiraling with the intensity of love that radiated off him.

The case was getting more difficult with Parsons high tailing on their asses.

 _"Did you sleep with him?!"_

 _"Go to hell!"_

 _"Interviews over!"_

Tony had questioned her about the topic again, reveling in the small chance that Parsons was right about her secret rendezvous in Israel after Eli died. He had thought that they had been getting closer- more like, taking that great leap from best friends to a future full of bliss. He'd succumbed from his playboy ways, eyes only for his ninja and not even bothering to test his chances with someone else. She was it and he would make sure she would know that... Soon.

Berlin had certainly proved that if they poured their hearts into this relationship, it would work. One car crash and two hearts later, here they were, contemplating how each other felt about one another. They were keeping dry in a garage from the heavy pouring rain at the crime scene.

"My Hebrew must not be as good as I thought because I could have sworn that when I dropped you off at the airport, I told you that you are not alone." Tony stated in a mere whisper, his heartbeat quickening from the anger that arose deep within his blood.

"Yes, you did." Ziva answered, eyes looking away from his.

"Well then, we must have different interpretations." His eyes were glued to her, irritated that she wouldn't look directly back at him. She was hiding the truth. He started to walk away from her, shaking his head in disgust before looking back once more at her. Her feet seemed to be permanently stuck to the ground, unable to move to go meet their boss where the rest of the team was standing. The thickness of his voice when he said his last thought, ceasing her over in a bubble where she could no longer move, swallow or concentrate. It was clear now, everything was clear from the moment the bomb exploded at NCIS and the two were stuck inside the elevator.

Moments later, after the team had gathered around Gibbs for further instruction, he had questioned both Ziva and Tony about their findings at the scene. Neither of the two agents had a fundamental answer, Tony staring at the female agent while the female agent refused to look up from the ground. The strange behavior of both the agents not going unseen by Gibbs.

After returning to the office, Ziva hurried along to her car to leave for the night. She made no effort to even look at Tony for the remainder of the night, so he continued on his way as well hoping things would get better in the morning.

 _No luck._

Parsons had suspended Ziva's security clearance in the building causing McGee and her to examine the locked case files that Parsons had acquired from the archives. Meanwhile, Tony took off on his own towards the bullpen in search of Parsons. He searched the top floor of the bullpen before spotting Parsons and glaring as he headed towards the elevator. Tony trudged down the stairs, hoping to make it in time to share the elevator with Parsons and have a little chat. Scooting right through the metal closing doors, Tony smirked at the frightened expression Parsons had. It was clear he hadn't forgot about the interrogation room scenario that happened yesterday and for that, Tony was pleased. Making a quick joke about TV, Tony pulled the emergency stop within the elevator and with a stealthy look, turned towards Parsons.

"So, this is how you do it, huh? I got ya. Just play it cool…wait for a reaction. Well, I got one for ya." Tony warned, the lights flickering down in the cold, metal shaft they were now stopped in. "What's that tell ya?" He questioned Parsons, violating the space between them as he stepped closer, shoulders tightening.

"That you're afraid." Parsons remarked, turning his head towards Tony.

"You're messing with the wrong federal agents. You can question how we do things, but don't ever question that loyalty of Ziva David." Tony's face was inches away from Parsons now, a sparkle in his eye when he said the female agent's name.

"Even though she dissed you and slept with some stranger?"

Tony's laugh was ominious, a scowl coming through when he stepped forward once more. "You gonna poke the bear, huh? "

"It's effective," Parsons stepped back.

Tony stepped forward again, "Until the bear eats you."

"For doing my job?" Parsons asked and watched as Tony's demeanor changed and his fists clenched at his side.

"For going after the bear's best friend." The Italian rolled the cuffs of his sleeves up, backing Parsons up against the metal wall.

The team was meeting in Director Vance's office after McGee and Ziva had figured out who exactly Parsons was going after. The door opening slowly, Tony stepping in with a strange look on his face.

"Dinozzo, nice of you to finally join us." Vance stated, looking at him quizzically.

"Sorry, I – uh, had to take care of something." Tony shrugged and Ziva rolled her eyes, scoffing.

"Something more important than Parsons trying to take our team now?" McGee asked, annoyed that the Senior Agent had been MIA for the past half hour.

"Yeah, McNosy. Why don't you-" Tony began, interrupted.

"Enough of that. We need to find a way to take down Parsons and make sure he never finds out any more about Bodnar's death." Vance slammed his fist down on the table.

"We had our reasons..." Ziva said, eyes glistening as she spoke and stared at Vance.

"Yes we did." Vance nodded, confirming her suspicions that Parson's might try to take on Vance for leverage.

"We'll know what he does, we've got ears to the ground and I accidentally may have attached some Trojan style listening devices onto his phone." Tony stated.

"You bugged Parsons?!" Ziva gaffed, looking towards him for the first time in two days with a shocked look on her face.

"We shared an elevator." His shoulders shrugged and she turned away, a light blush creeping on her face as realization dawned on her. That's where he had been that whole time.

Debating on what to do for another half hour, the team finally exited out of Director Vance's office and separately took their ways for the next part of the plan to take down Parsons. Tony followed Ziva, who evidently didn't want to share an elevator with the rest of her team. She made her way towards interrogation, feeling a presence following her so, she went to keep going when two hands grabbed her by the waist and led her into the elevator. She would have fought the stalker, however as soon as she felt the two large hands that landed on her body, she knew exactly who it was by his touch.

"Now you are following me?" She muttered, annoyed that he had been following her.

"We need to talk." Tony admitted, pushing the emergency stop in the elevator for the second time that day.

"What is done, is done," Her voice was quiet, trying to reason with Tony. "It is my job now to fix this."

Tony shook his head, "You seriously think this is your fault?"

"Because it is, yes? My father came here to start a new life over with me, a new beginning. I could not trust him after everything that happened that summer on The Damocles and in Somalia. I should have known something would go wrong and that danger always follows when we went to Vance's house for dinner that evening. It is my fault that my father and Jackie are dead." She was almost in tears now, the weight of the world dropping down on her shoulders.

Tony moved closer to her, bringing his palm up to wipe her cheekbones. "Shh, shh." He tried to calm her, moving his palm to caress the side of her cheek. "None of this is your fault, Ziva."

"Yes, it is." She stressed, tears falling freely now. "And if I had not been weak, you would not hate me for Adam."

"Hey," Tony raised his voice, keeping his hand on her cheek and one hand gripping at her waist. "I could never hate you, Ziva. Not even a little bit. It's just…" He gathered the words in his head, "There are only so many times I can watch you break before I start to crack."

At his statement and the look radiating off his eyes, Ziva leaned her forehead against his. She exhaled, trying to free all of the emotions she was now feeling. His hands drew up her body, sweeping across her neck to gather in her hair. Little strands of her dark curls seeping through his fingers and he inhaled deeply before placing his lips on hers and moving his mouth against her own. She moaned at the contact, the sweet and savory feeling of longing to have him from the start. Her tongue darted out against his causing him to chuckle at how quickly his ninja set the pace for them.

Tony drew away after a few minutes, smoothing his hands over her hair "You know how long I've been waiting to do that?" He smiled, pecking her lips once more and she pulled him down to her again.

"Mmm, how long?" She giggled, nipping at his bottom lip.

"Too freaking long, my ninja." He raised his eyebrow at her when their phones started to ring, indicating that the rest of the team was looking for them. He pushed in the emergency stop, the elevator no longer halting to move and he continued to stare at Ziva, dumbfounded.

"What?" She bit her bottom lip, nervousness creeping on her as they made their way up towards the bullpen in the elevator.

"No one's going to take you down, I promise." He reassured her with another kiss, the bell dinging while the door opened.

They stepped out into the bullpen, watching as Gibbs and the rest of the team were suddenly met with Parsons.

"Why does Parsons have a cut up lip and swollen eye?" Ziva questioned, turning her head quickly towards Tony whose eyebrow was raised again.

"Beats me." Tony winked at her and Ziva put the clues together of the day. He had done this _for her_.

"Dinozzo…" She warned, giggling when he shrugged as if he hadn't done anything.

"Lions, tigers and bears! Oh my!" Tony joked, nudging her with his shoulder.

"You are hairy like a bear. That would make you the bear, yes?" She giggled again, leaning her head on his shoulder and debating if they should go interrupt Gibbs and Parsons.

Tony smiled to himself, "You have no idea how much of the bear I actually am, Zee-vah."

What she would never know, laid deep inside Tony's chest. A vital organ, beating to a perplex rhythm of a Sting song, pumping along blood in order to keep him alive and breathing. Little to anyone's knowledge, she was the driving force, the impelling reason as to why his heart kept pounding. Stronger than any need or any essential in life, she was his necessity.

 _The bear's necessity._

" _That's why a bear can rest at ease, with just the bare necessities of life!"_


End file.
